


"I like dogs!"

by judelaw



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor Deserves Happiness, Connor is confused by Hank's behaviour, and Sumo is a good boy, and why he likes dogs, android confusion, feelings and how to find them, set somewhere in the game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-18 21:20:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14860515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/judelaw/pseuds/judelaw
Summary: If someone would ask Connor why he likes dogs, he wouldn’t be able to give a clear answer. He often was wondering that himself, searching his system and resources for an answer, but there simply was no definitive one. He had come, however, to the provisional conclusion, that it may have something to do with the fact that he could relate to them. Dogs were made to serve. Just as Androids are.





	"I like dogs!"

**Author's Note:**

> Dogs are pure. Connor is pure. They were just meant to be.

When Connor had told Hank he liked dogs, he hasn’t been lying. Technically he wasn’t programmed to dislike any kind of living being anyway (only to know which ones could be a potential danger to him and which ones were a potential danger for humans), but for some reason he always had a great fondness of dogs. He wasn’t sure if he even was intended to have a taste of any kind but at the same time he only was a prototype so a few flaws – or human like characteristics – were to be expected. Just as he could stand still without moving for days, even weeks, yet always felt (if he could even call it that) the urge to play with his coin whenever he had to wait.  

If someone would ask Connor why he likes dogs, he wouldn’t be able to give a clear answer. He often was wondering that himself, searching his system and resources for an answer, but there simply was no definitive one. He had come, however, to the provisional conclusion, that it may have something to do with the fact that he could relate to them. Dogs were made to serve. Just as Androids are. They only exist because humans decided to make wolfs useful to them and long before androids existed, they had assisted humanity a lot. Dogs could search for drugs, survivors of a catastrophe, could help the disabled and ill. Nowadays their services weren’t necessary anymore – in a way androids had stolen their jobs, too – but humans still kept them around for company.

He could tell by the way Hank treated Sumo, that he truly loved him and while the entire concept of love was a fascinating topic for him, it was even more so when it came to the love humans could have for other species. In a way, Connor had a better understanding why humans could fall in love with androids – in the end, those were at least human-like designed and able to communicate properly – but dogs?

Yes, Connor was aware of the way dogs could communicate with humans and the other way around, however according to his knowledge that wasn’t even slightly comparable to the way humans could communicate with one another.

He knew how many words dogs could understand and that they would never be able to truly follow everything you say, but he wasn’t entirely sure if Hank knew that. Connor had often caught Hank talking to Sumo as if he was another intelligent species, even went so far to ask him questions like “How was your day?” without expecting any kind of reply. When Connor had felt the need to inform Hank about the fact that Sumo wasn’t able to understand his questions, let alone reply, he had only received a “I know, idiot”, which didn’t help him with his data at all. So he had continued to ask why he then kept talking to Sumo like that but only got a shrug.

Since his data and Hank had failed him, he decided it was time to figure the answer out himself – and the only way to do that was by imitating human behavior. Of course he should be focusing solely on the latest deviant case but Hank had asked (to put it politely) him to take Sumo out for a walk, as his headache from last night was unbearable. Continuing to get drunk even when knowing the consequences that will follow the next morning, was another human behavior that made no sense to Connor at all and gave him trouble truly understanding them.

Designed to please, he followed Hank’s instructions and took Sumo out of the house, calculating what would not only be the appropriate distance to walk for a dog of Sumo’s breed, age and weight, but also which route would be the most pleasurable for him, considering the amount of possibilities to sniff and opportunities to do his business.

He watched the dogs happily yet slowly waddling in front of him, again wondering why he liked dogs so much. The only other reasons than the aforementioned his system could come up with – like the loyalty, the fluffy fur, the general adorableness – maybe suitable for a human but not for a machine. Connor was sure there must be a logical thought process behind his liking.

When they had reached the park, they were alone. Nothing too unusual considering the early hour but Connor was still glad that was the case. Now was the perfect time to start his experiment.

“Sumo-“, he began and the stopped walking, curiously looking around to face him. He wasn’t sure what to say. Connor knew over 5000 languages, including their dialects and coding languages, but no matter what language he tried, he couldn’t think of what to say to a dog. So he decided to simply repeat things he had heard Hank say to him.

“How are you?”

No reply.

Not that Connor had expected one from Sumo himself, but he had at least hoped something in his system would pick up some kind of response in him, that would explain why humans kept doing that.

Sumo meanwhile had looked away, seeming to take a particular interest in a squirrel a few trees down the path.

“Do you like squirrels?” Connor asked, eager to not classify this experiment as failed this easily.

But again: nothing.

Perhaps he should talk about himself rather than asking questions as he had often seen Hank do that. But what did he have to say about himself?

“My name is Connor. I’m a RK800 prototype from CyberLife.”

Sumo sneezed.

Maybe Connor wasn’t saying the right thing? After all he had been rather introducing himself than actually talking about him. He thought about what humans liked to say but Connor didn’t have any hobbies or favorites or interesting stories of his past. In fact he didn’t even have a past. He may look an adult in his 30s but his system wasn’t even boot up a year ago. Of course Connor knew the exact time that had passed – down to the Planck unit – but that was beside the point.

“I’m afraid, I’m utterly boring.”

The realization hit him harder than expected. He had never considered himself to be boring – not that he spent a lot of time thinking about himself anyway. He was a special Android, a prototype. Someone- something that had a significant value to CyberLife. But in comparison to human beings, he was just plain.

“Perhaps I should pick up a hobby.”

Could he even do that? Or more importantly: Was he allowed to do that? He didn’t think Amanda would appreciate him wasting his time and resources on such trivial things. Of course to humans hobbies weren’t as trivial, Connor understood that in a way they are of a high importance for their well-being, but he didn’t need that. He wasn’t human. He was just a machine. Nothing more than a TV or toaster, who didn’t have any hobbies or personalities as well.

They also lacked self-awareness unlike Androids but that was beside the point he was trying to prove to himself.

“Do you want to play?”

He went back to the questions, still talking to Sumo to gain more data, as he was rewarded with nothing.

When he picked up the nearest branch, Sumo started to get excited; barking at Connor which he knew was a dog’s way of asking him to throw it.

He quickly calculated the distance Sumo could run and how far he could actually see and then threw it. The dog started running, seemingly enjoying not only the fetch game but also the running itself. Dogs were so much easier to please than humans.

He watched him pick up the branch and proudly walking back, wiggling with his tail and once he had reached him, Connor kneeled down to pet him: “Good boy!”

Again nothing.

He decided to call this experiment a failure and simply give up. He would never understand why Hank kept talking Sumo like that. Maybe it was something only humans could understand. Something he as a machine would never know or experience.

He didn’t know why his thoughts suddenly trailed there, but Connor began to wonder what it is like to be human. How different their thoughts are. How they see the world. What feelings are like. He knew there was no use in such thoughts, that he would never be able to get an answer for that, so why did he waste energy on them?

What does it feel like to not be an Android? To not get treated like an object? To get liked by other human beings? To get liked by Hank?

And how come Sumo, to his standard an unintelligent species, knew more about those things than he did?

He had thought he has a lot in common with Sumo. With dogs in general. Being made to serve their masters, following orders. But when it comes down to it, they are worlds apart. Dogs can feel. They know what it is like to be alive.

Connor wasn’t intended to feel jealousy, and he was sure he wasn’t jealous anyway, but he _was_ curious to know those things. He wanted to get an answer.

His systems told him what he already knew, anyway. There was a 0% chance of ever getting it.

Connor would never be more than a machine. He would not mean more to anyone and he would not feel like more than that. Ever.

Just as every living being had to live knowing their time will end one day, he had to live forever, knowing he would never be alive. And a small part of him, probably a bug of some sort, actually wondered who had the worst fate.

Sumo barked, drawing Connors attention back to him. He immediately scanned the dog and the situation, trying to find the course for his barking, but he couldn’t find anything. Sumo was just staring at him, softly panting.

Just as Connor was about to get up, however, Sumo suddenly made a noise again, starting to lick his hand, pressing his cold and wet nose under his palm and using his entire snout to lift his hand up.

Did he want to get pet?

Connor lifted his hand up from the dog’s snout to pet his back, but Sumo used the opportunity to crawl onto his lap, pressing his entire body against Connor’s and slowly starting to lick his face.

“What are you doing?” Connor asked confused, more out of a habit now than for his failed experiment, and even though he still didn’t get a reply from the dog himself, something in his system, inside of him must have picked some kind of answer up, because he suddenly felt- warmer. Better.

Connor didn’t know what it felt like to be human, and he would never know. He didn’t know what feelings are like. What love feels like, what sadness feels like. But still. For this short moment, he thought he did. For just a short period of time, he felt happy.

Alive.

He still didn’t know if that was the reason for Hank’s behavior and he didn’t think it was as a human being must feel alive all the time.  But what he did know, was that it felt good to him.

Maybe he liked dogs because they didn’t judge him. Maybe he liked dogs because they treated him like a human being. Maybe he liked dogs because he could relate to them. Maybe he liked dogs because they were so different from him. Maybe he liked dogs because he could make them feel good. Maybe he liked dogs because they could make him feel good.

Maybe it was all of those reasons.

Or maybe it wasn’t any of them.

But did it really matter?

**Author's Note:**

> I played the game in one go over the weekend and I cannot believe David Cage had made me yet again fall in love with a suit wearing detective. The only acceptable ending for Detroit are those in which Connor is happy.


End file.
